Cleaning device and vehicle for sensors

Abstract

An improved cleaning device for sensors and a vehicle equipped with the cleaning device are provided. [Solution] The cleaning device (100) includes a gas storage tank (2), a gas source assembly (1) coupled to the gas storage tank and including at least one gas pump suitable for supplying high-pressure gas to the gas storage tank, a first mounting bracket arranged on a support on which a sensor is disposed and suitable for fixing the at least one gas pump, and a first buffer member arranged between the mounting bracket and the support and absorbing vibrations generated during operation of the at least one gas pump. The cleaning device also includes a plurality of nozzles (3) each connected to the gas storage tank, positioned toward a sensor (5), and suitable for spraying high-pressure gas from the gas storage tank onto the sensor. This allows dirt on the sensor surface to be cleaned.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of vehicles, and more particularly to a cleaning device for sensors and a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In the context of the development of modern automotive technology, sensors have become a key component in vehicle intelligence and safety. With the widespread application of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous driving technology, and in-vehicle sensing systems, vehicle sensors play a vital role in real-time environmental sensing, hazard prediction, and driver assistance decision-making. However, these precision sensors are susceptible to interference from environmental factors, such as the accumulation of road dust, mud, rainwater, snow, frost, and other contaminants, which significantly degrades the sensor's detection performance and signal quality, thereby affecting vehicle operation safety and the driving experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cleaning device for a sensor, the cleaning device comprising: a gas storage tank; an air source assembly coupled to the gas storage tank, the air source assembly including at least one gas pump adapted to supply high-pressure gas to the gas storage tank, a first mounting bracket arranged on a support on which the sensor is disposed and adapted to secure the at least one gas pump, and a first buffer member arranged between the mounting bracket and the support to absorb vibrations generated during operation of the at least one gas pump; and a plurality of nozzles each connected to the gas storage tank, the plurality of nozzles arranged toward the sensor and adapted to allow high-pressure gas from the gas storage tank to be sprayed onto the sensor.

[0004] In some embodiments, the support comprises a vehicle body frame, and the first mounting bracket is located on a rear side member of the vehicle body frame.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first mounting bracket is disposed on a side wall of the rear side member of the vehicle body frame on a side perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first cushioning member comprises at least one of a resilient pad, a spring, and a leaf spring.

[0007] In some embodiments, the gas source assembly further includes a second mounting bracket disposed between the first mounting bracket and the at least one gas pump and fixedly coupled to the at least one gas pump, and a second buffer member disposed between the first mounting bracket and the second mounting bracket and absorbing vibrations between the first mounting bracket and the second mounting bracket.

[0008] In some embodiments, the second mounting bracket is coupled to the first mounting bracket via a fastener, the first mounting bracket and the second mounting bracket are spaced a predetermined distance apart, and the second cushioning member comprises a secondary cushioning pad and a secondary cushioning spring, each of which at least partially surrounds the fastener.

[0009] In some embodiments, the cleaning device further comprises at least one control valve, each coupled to the plurality of nozzles and controlling the opening and closing of a pipeline between the plurality of nozzles and the gas storage tank, the at least one control valve including: a valve body including an airtight hole; a valve core disposed within the valve body and adapted to be driven to move between a closed position and an open position and including a mounting groove disposed toward the airtight hole; and a sealing member disposed at an end of the valve core, partially fitted within the mounting groove, and adapted to tightly seal against the edge of the airtight hole while the valve core is in the closed position.

[0010] In some embodiments, the mounting groove has a cross-sectional area that gradually decreases as the cross-sectional area along the axis of the valve core approaches the airtight hole, and the sealing member fits into the mounting groove, with the cross-sectional area of ​​the sealing member along the axis of the valve core gradually decreasing as the cross-sectional area approaches the airtight hole.

[0011] In some embodiments, the valve core has a flow port with a diameter in the open state within the range of 2 mm to 3 mm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the length of the conduit between the control valve and the nozzle does not exceed 50 cm.

[0013] A cleaning device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure can store high-pressure gas in a gas storage tank using a gas pump. The high-pressure gas is sprayed from a nozzle to flush a sensor corresponding to the nozzle and clean the sensor surface. This method clears dirt from the sensor surface and enables the sensor to stably and sensitively sense the external environment. The gas pump is fixed to a support (e.g., a vehicle frame) on which the sensor is placed via at least a first mounting bracket, and a first buffer member is filled between the first mounting bracket and the support. The first buffer member deforms to absorb vibrations generated during operation of the gas pump, preventing the vibrations from being transmitted to the support, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing noise.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a plurality of sensors and a washing device provided according to the first aspect, adapted to be controlled to wash the plurality of sensors.

[0015] It should be understood that the contents described in this section are not intended to limit the key features or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will be readily understood from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] These and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the drawings and the following detailed description, in which the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements. [Figure 1] 1 shows a simplified schematic diagram of a vehicle provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 shows a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 shows a structural schematic diagram of an air source assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 shows a simplified schematic diagram of the internal structure of a control valve according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Although the drawings show several embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be realized in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, providing these embodiments should provide a more detailed and complete understanding of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are used only for illustrative purposes and are not used to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0018] It should be noted that any section / subsection titles provided herein are not limiting. Various embodiments are generally described herein, and any type of embodiment may be included in any section / subsection. Furthermore, embodiments described in any section / subsection may be combined with any other embodiments described in the same section / subsection and / or different sections / subsections.

[0019] In describing embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "comprises" and similar terms should be understood as an open inclusion of "including, but not limited to." The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on." The term "one embodiment" or "this embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment." The term "some embodiments" should be understood as "at least some embodiments." Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below. Terms such as "first," "second," etc. may refer to different objects or the same object. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0020] As mentioned above, vehicle sensors play a vital role in real-time environmental sensing, hazard prediction, and driver assistance decision-making. Key sensing devices, such as video cameras, millimeter-wave radar, laser radar, and ultrasonic sensors, must maintain high accuracy and stability to ensure accuracy under complex road and weather conditions. Specifically, complex road conditions (e.g., dust, muddy water) and adverse weather conditions (e.g., rain, snow, and fog) can cause contamination or obstruction of the sensor surface, significantly reducing the sensor's detection performance. These issues not only affect the accuracy of sensors' sensing of the external environment, but also negatively impact the safety and stability of autonomous vehicles.

[0021] Conventional in-vehicle sensor cleaning technologies mainly employ low-pressure gas injection onto sensors. However, this type of cleaning method has limited cleaning effectiveness due to its low injection pressure, making it unable to effectively remove stubborn dirt on the sensor surface, such as mud, oil, or snow. This impacts the sensor's detection capabilities in all weather and all scenes, limiting the performance improvements of autonomous vehicles. Furthermore, the vibrations generated by the gas pump during operation of conventional cleaning methods are easily transmitted to the interior of the driver's cabin through the vehicle frame, generating noise and affecting the riding experience.

[0022] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a sensor cleaning device and vehicle that solve or at least partially solve the above-mentioned problems and other potential problems present in conventional solutions. The cleaning device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure stores high-pressure gas in a gas storage tank using a gas pump. The high-pressure gas is sprayed from a nozzle to flush the sensor corresponding to the nozzle and clean the sensor surface. This method clears dirt from the sensor surface and enables the sensor to stably and sensitively sense the external environment. The gas pump is fixed to a support (e.g., a vehicle frame) on which the sensor is placed via at least a first mounting bracket, and a first buffer member is filled between the first mounting bracket and the support. The first buffer member deforms to absorb vibrations generated during operation of the gas pump, preventing the vibrations from being transmitted to the support, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing noise.

[0023] An embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a vehicle. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle generally includes a body frame 6, a plurality of sensors 5 coupled to the body frame 6, and a cleaning device 100 disposed near the plurality of sensors 5. The cleaning device 100 can clean the detection surfaces of the sensors 5, ensuring that the sensors 5 can stably and accurately collect environmental information outside the vehicle.

[0024] In some embodiments, the sensor 5 includes at least, but is not limited to, a laser radar, a millimeter-wave radar, a long-range / medium-range / short-range video camera, an infrared camera, a traffic light recognition camera, a fisheye camera, and an ultrasonic radar. During the process of using (e.g., driving) a vehicle, various types of dirt may accumulate on the detection surface of the sensor 5 (e.g., the lens of a video camera). Illustratively, the dirt accumulated on the detection surface of the sensor 5 may include raindrops, dust, mud, bird droppings, dead insects, etc. Since these dirt particles may affect the accuracy of the environmental information collected by the sensor 5, it is necessary to clean the detection surface of the sensor 5 using the cleaning device 100.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning device 100 includes a gas storage tank 2, a gas source assembly 1, and a plurality of nozzles 3 coupled to the gas storage tank 2. The gas source assembly 1 includes at least one gas pump 11. The gas pump 11 is connected to the gas storage tank 2 and can fill the gas storage tank 2 with gas to load high-pressure gas into the gas storage tank 2. The plurality of nozzles 3 are each arranged toward a corresponding sensor 5, and the nozzles 3 are connected to the gas storage tank 2 via a pipeline. The high-pressure gas in the gas storage tank 2 is ejected from the nozzles 3 and sprayed onto the detection surfaces of the corresponding sensors 5. The high-pressure gas can wash away dirt from the detection surfaces, thereby achieving a cleaning effect on the detection surfaces of the sensors 5.

[0026] In some embodiments, the cleaning device 100 may also be applied to cleaning any other suitable fields or equipment. For example, the cleaning device 100 may be attached to a surveillance device and used to clean the lens assembly of the surveillance device, or the cleaning device 100 may be attached to an image collection module of an unmanned aerial vehicle and used to clean the image collection module. The following description of the cleaning device 100 will be primarily focused on an example in which the cleaning device 100 is applied to cleaning in the field of on-board sensors.

[0027] In some embodiments, the volume of the gas storage tank 2 can be controlled to 2 L, thereby controlling the small volume of the cleaning device 100, allowing the gas storage tank 2 to quickly reach the threshold air pressure range, and ensuring the stability of the high-pressure airflow ejected from the nozzle 3, so that the cleaning operation can be performed stably for a long time. Of course, the volume of the gas storage tank 2 can be adjusted accordingly for different environmental scenes and different cleaning equipment, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a structural schematic diagram of a gas source assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the gas source assembly 1 further includes a first mounting bracket 12 and a first buffer member 13. The first mounting bracket 12 is disposed on a support to which the sensor 5 is coupled and is used to secure the at least one gas pump 11. The first buffer member 13 is disposed between the first mounting bracket 12 and the support and is suitable for absorbing vibrations generated during operation of the gas pump 11. In some embodiments, the first mounting bracket 12 is fixed to the vehicle body frame 6. For example, the first mounting bracket 12 can be attached to the rear side member of the vehicle body frame 6 via fasteners such as bolts, thereby providing stable support for the at least one gas pump 11 and allowing the cleaning device 100 to be closer to the sensor 5 on top of the vehicle. This arrangement shortens the pipeline length and reduces pressure loss of the high-pressure gas caused by excessively long pipelines.

[0029] In some embodiments, the first mounting bracket 12 can be further disposed on a side wall of the rear side member that is perpendicular to the direction of gravity, and at least one gas pump 11 is coupled to the side of the first mounting bracket 12 that is away from the rear side member. This method can reduce vibrations that the gas pump 11 applies to the rear side member and improve the mounting stability of the gas source assembly 1.

[0030] The first buffer member 13 includes at least one of an elastic pad, a spring, and a leaf spring. Exemplarily, in some embodiments, the first buffer member 13 may be an elastic pad made of rubber, which is filled between the body frame 6 and the first mounting bracket 12 to provide a buffering effect between the body frame 6 and the first mounting bracket 12. Vibrations generated during operation of the gas pump 11 are at least partially absorbed by the first buffer member 13, reducing transmission of the vibrations to the body frame 6 and thus reducing riding noise.

[0031] In some embodiments, the gas source assembly 1 may further include a second mounting bracket 14 and a second buffer member 15. The second mounting bracket 14 is disposed between the first mounting bracket 12 and the gas pump 11 and is fixedly connected to the gas pump 11. The second buffer member 15 is disposed between the first mounting bracket 12 and the second mounting bracket 14 and is suitable for buffering vibrations of the gas pump 11. This can further reduce vibrations transmitted from the gas pump 11 to the vehicle frame 6.

[0032] Specifically, the second mounting bracket 14 and the first mounting bracket 12 can be connected via fastening members such as bolts, and the first mounting bracket 12 and the second mounting bracket 14 are spaced a predetermined distance apart by combining bolts and nuts. The first mounting bracket 12 and the second mounting bracket 14 can be moved closer to or farther apart relative to each other under the constraint of the fastening members. The second buffer member 15 includes a secondary buffer pad 151 and a secondary buffer spring 152. The secondary buffer pad 151 can be annular and made of an elastic rubber material. The secondary buffer pad 151 and the secondary buffer spring 152 each at least partially surround the outside of the fastening members.

[0033] During operation of the gas pump 11, the first mounting bracket and the second mounting bracket move relative to each other due to the operating vibration of the gas pump 11. The secondary buffer pad 151 and the secondary buffer spring can absorb the energy of the vibration, thereby reducing the transmission of the vibration to the body frame 6 and thereby reducing interior noise. The mutual combination of the first buffer member 13 and the second buffer member 15 forms a double buffer structure between the gas pump 11 and the support (i.e., the body frame 6). This double buffer structure effectively suppresses the relative vibration between the gas pump 11 and the body frame 6, reducing noise caused by the vibration on the one hand and improving the mounting stability of the gas source assembly 1 and the body frame 6 on the other hand.

[0034] In some embodiments, the cleaning device 100 further includes a control valve 4. The control valve 4 is disposed in the pipeline between the nozzle 3 and the gas storage tank 2 and controls the opening and closing of the pipeline between the nozzle 3 and the gas storage tank 2. In some embodiments, the control valve 4 is coupled to a vehicle controller, which further includes an algorithm and a data processing unit that can receive and analyze signals from the sensors 5 in real time, continuously evaluate their cleaning needs, and generate cleaning commands based on the cleaning needs. When dust, dirt, or other impurities that affect sensing performance accumulate on the surface of the sensor 5, the controller quickly identifies this and drives the control valve 4 to open the pipeline between the nozzle 3 and the gas storage tank 2.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a simplified schematic diagram of the internal structure of a control valve according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, the control valve 4 includes a valve body 41, a valve core 42 disposed within the valve body 41, and a seal member 43 disposed at the end of the valve core 42. Both ends of the valve body 41 communicate with the gas storage tank 2 and the nozzle 3, respectively, and the valve body 41 includes an airtight hole 411. The valve core 42 can be actuated to move between a closed position and an open position. The seal member 43 is disposed at one end of the valve core 42 toward the airtight hole 411. When the valve core 42 is in the closed position, the seal member 43 tightly seals against the edge of the airtight hole 411, thereby closing the pipeline between the nozzle and the gas storage tank 2. Furthermore, when the valve core 42 is in the open position, the seal member 43 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the airtight hole 411, allowing gas in the gas storage tank 2 to pass through the airtight hole 411 and enter the nozzle 3.

[0036] In some embodiments, the diameter of the gas flow port inside the control valve 4 in the open state can be controlled to be within a range of 2 mm to 3 mm. In this manner, the gas flow rate can be controlled and sufficient high-pressure gas can be ensured to flush the sensor 5, improving the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning device 100 for the sensor 5.

[0037] In some embodiments, the valve core 42 is controlled by an electromagnetic force generated by an electromagnetic coil inside the control valve 4 and can move between a closed position and an open position, and a corresponding return spring can also be installed within the control valve 4 to ensure that the control valve 4 remains in a normally closed or normally open state during periods of inactivity.

[0038] In conventional valve cores 42, the bonding strength between the sealing member 43 and the valve core 42 is not high, so that the valve core 42 and the sealing member 43 are easily separated during frequent opening and closing operations, which affects the closing accuracy of the control valve 4. To solve this problem, in some embodiments that allow the cleaning device 100 to operate stably for a long time, a mounting groove 44 is opened at the end of the valve core 42 facing the airtight hole 411, and the sealing member 43 is at least partially fitted into the mounting groove 44. In addition, the mounting groove 44 is formed so that the cross section perpendicular to the valve core 42 gradually narrows as it approaches the airtight hole 411.

[0039] Similarly, the sealing member 43 is also arranged so that its cross section perpendicular to the valve core 42 gradually decreases as it approaches the airtight hole 411 in order to fit into the mounting groove 44. Because the sealing member 43 is made of an elastic rubber material, it can be mounted in the mounting groove 44 by pressing the sealing member 43. The mutual fit between the sealing member 43 and the side wall of the mounting groove 44 allows the sealing member 43 to be stably confined within the mounting groove 44, improving the connection strength between the valve core 42 and the sealing member 43, thereby enabling the control valve 4 to meet long-term and high-frequency operating demands and improving the long-term operating stability of the cleaning device 100.

[0040] In some embodiments, the length of the pipe between the control valve 4 and the nozzle 3 can be controlled so as not to exceed 50 cm, thereby reducing the volume of the low-pressure area between the control valve 4 and the nozzle 3 and improving the injection pressure and response speed.

[0041] In some embodiments, the cleaning device 100 may have an appropriate heat dissipation structure that actively and / or passively dissipates heat from the gas pump 11 and the solenoid valve, ensuring the stability of the gas pump 11 and the solenoid valve during long-term operation. A gas pump 11 and a solenoid valve with high heat resistance and durability may also be selected to further extend the operating time of the cleaning device 100. In some embodiments, the operating time of the cleaning device 100 may exceed 8 hours, thereby meeting the cleaning needs of the sensor 5 in the majority of vehicle driving scenarios.

[0042] Although various implementations of the present disclosure have been described above, the above description is illustrative, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the various implementations disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described implementations. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, actual use, or improvements of the technology in the marketplace of each implementation, or to enable those skilled in the art to understand each embodiment disclosed herein.

Claims

1. a gas storage tank (2); A gas source assembly (1) coupled to the gas storage tank (2), at least one gas pump (11) suitable for supplying high pressure gas to said gas storage tank (2); a first mounting bracket (12) arranged on a support on which the sensor (5) is arranged and suitable for fixing said at least one gas pump (11); a gas source assembly (1) including a first buffer member (13) disposed between the first mounting bracket and the support, the first buffer member (13) absorbing vibrations generated during operation of the at least one gas pump (11); a plurality of nozzles (3) each connected to the gas storage tank (2), the nozzles (3) being arranged toward the sensor (5) and adapted to allow the high-pressure gas in the gas storage tank (2) to be sprayed onto the sensor (5); 1. A cleaning device for a sensor, comprising:

2. The support body comprises a vehicle body frame (6), and the first mounting bracket (12) is disposed on a rear side member of the vehicle body frame (6).

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1.

3. The first mounting bracket (12) is disposed on a side wall of the rear side member of the vehicle body frame (6) on a side perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 2.

4. The first buffer member (13) comprises at least one of an elastic pad, a spring, and a leaf spring.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1.

5. The gas source assembly (1) further comprises: a second mounting bracket (14) disposed between the first mounting bracket (12) and the at least one gas pump (11) and fixedly coupled to the at least one gas pump (11); and a second buffer member (15) disposed between the first mounting bracket (12) and the second mounting bracket (14) to absorb vibrations between the first mounting bracket (12) and the second mounting bracket (14).

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1.

6. The second mounting bracket (14) is connected to the first mounting bracket (12) via a fastening member, and the first mounting bracket (12) and the second mounting bracket (14) are disposed at a predetermined distance from each other; The second buffer member (15) comprises a secondary buffer pad (151) and a secondary buffer spring (152), and the secondary buffer pad (151) and the secondary buffer spring (152) respectively at least partially surround the fastening member; 6. The cleaning device according to claim 5.

7. at least one control valve (4) coupled to each of the plurality of nozzles (3) for controlling opening and closing of a pipeline between the plurality of nozzles (3) and the gas storage tank (2); a valve body (41) including an airtight hole (411); a valve core (42) disposed within the valve body (41), adapted to be driven to move between a closed position and an open position, and including a mounting groove (44) disposed toward the airtight hole (411); and at least one control valve (4) including a sealing member (43) disposed at an end of the valve core (42), partially fitted into the mounting groove (44), and adapted to tightly seal against the edge of the airtight hole (411) while the valve core (42) is in a closed position.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1.

8. The cross-sectional area of ​​the mounting groove (44) along the axis of the valve core (42) gradually decreases as it approaches the airtight hole (411), The sealing member (43) fits into the mounting groove (44), and the cross-sectional area of ​​the sealing member (43) along the axis of the valve core (42) gradually decreases as it approaches the airtight hole (411).

8. The cleaning device according to claim 7.

9. The diameter of the flow port of the valve core (42) in an open state is within the range of 2 mm to 3 mm.

9. The cleaning device according to claim 8.

10. The length of the pipeline between the control valve (4) and the nozzle (3) does not exceed 50 cm; 8. The cleaning device according to claim 7.

11. a plurality of sensors (5); and a cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, adapted to be controlled to clean the plurality of sensors (5). A vehicle characterized by:

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